


found

by ndnickerson



Category: Nancy Drew - Carolyn Keene
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, First Meetings, Pre-Canon, Telepathy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-04
Updated: 2017-02-04
Packaged: 2018-09-21 21:26:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9567407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ndnickerson/pseuds/ndnickerson
Summary: Nancy isn't looking for her soulmate... but he finds her anyway.





	

_Hello?_

Nancy has been feeling strange all day long, in a way she can't explain. Everything around her has felt hushed, waiting, like the eerie stillness before a storm, before the sky has even darkened with promise and threat. She's caught movement from the corner of her eye that isn't there. Every time she checks her watch, she feels like she's forgotten something. She hasn't been able to focus on anything anyone has said to her.

It's like she's been turned inward, waiting for this, even though she didn't expect it. For this voice.

It isn't her father or Hannah, or Bess or George or Helen. They are the only people who can communicate with her this way. The only other person was her mother... but the voice doesn't belong to any of them.

_Once you're ready, you can hear your soulmate in your mind._

She knows it happens, of course, but she's never really considered it or daydreamed about it the way Bess does. Some people don't have soulmates. Some people aren't ready to meet their soulmates until they're fifty years old. There's no point in worrying about it, so she hasn't. She can't do anything to make it happen, or not.

But that's who this is. It can't be anyone else.

 _Hello?_ The voice sounds a little disappointed. Because she hasn't answered.

Is this why she's felt anxious all day, without knowing why? Her heart is beating harder. She's unprepared for this. For all this means.

She doesn't have to answer--she doesn't think she has to answer. Maybe it's a mistake. A stray thought...

But that doesn't happen.

And she's curious. Despite her sudden fear, she's curious.

 _Hello?_ she projects back to the person who has contacted her.

_ohmygod HI! Hey!_

She can't help giggling at the genuine joy and enthusiasm in the voice. Hannah glances over at her, away from the cooking show the two of them had been watching. Well, Hannah is watching. Nancy's trying to recenter herself in her own skin.

"Hmm?"

Nancy shakes her head. "Nothing," she murmurs. "Sorry."

_Hi. What's your name?_

She's not imagining it. Her heart is beating so fast that her fingertips are trembling slightly as she waits for his answer.

_Edmund. Everyone calls me Ned. What's your name?_

The words are almost overlapping in his haste and eagerness. She imagines bright, honest eyes... it's so strange to talk to a stranger this way. She can't picture a face to attach to the words. He just seems so unabashedly genuine.

_Nancy. Nancy Drew._

_ohmygod are you in River Heights?_

_Yes. You know me?_

_I know_ of _you. I live in Mapleton! Just down the road! ohmygod_

She somehow manages to stifle her giggle so she doesn't disturb Hannah again. _You're right, Mapleton is really close. I wonder if we've ever seen each other?_

_I don't know. Maybe. I go to Mapleton High. RHHS?_

_Mmm-hmm. What grade are you?_

_Junior. You?_

_Sophomore._ So he's a little older than her, but their ages are close. She slides down on the couch so her head is pillowed by the arm, and she can't really see anything in the room around her, she's so focused on the conversation she's having. _Have you--read about me in the newspaper?_

_Of course. I mean, it was crazy when you were able to find that missing girl... but there was no picture of you. I don't know what you look like._

She smiles. _Good. The reporters are usually good about respecting me on that. If everyone recognized me, how would I go undercover?_

 _Good point._ He pauses. _Um... are you with anyone?_

She understands what he means. He's not asking if she's alone right now. _I'm not seeing anyone. Dad didn't even let me start dating until a few months ago, and I--haven't actually been on that many dates._ She cringes a little. She doesn't want to sound so inexperienced, but it's hard to lie when she's communicating this way; it's far easier to just tell the truth. Besides, he'll know if she lies about it.

She wonders how she knows that.

_Oh? How old are you?_

_Fifteen._

_Oh--I'm sixteen. And I haven't dated that much either. I... I just wanted to wait for you. Until we had found each other._

She blushes, glad that Hannah is paying attention to the show and not at all to her. _How did you know that we would meet now, and not ten years from now, or twenty? Or ever?_

_Is that how it was with your parents?_

Her brow furrows slightly at his dodge of the question. _Um... no. They met in college. What about your parents?_

Her parents are soulmates. Most people who meet one soulmate have more than one in their lives, but this connection she shares with Ned is almost always exclusive between a couple. She's only heard of a few people who have met two soulmates around the same time. What scares her a little, though, is that her father and mother were married and had her--and her father has never yet had that connection with anyone else. For the past twelve years, he's been alone.

It's one of the things that made her think it could take a while for her, if it ever happened. It also makes her wonder if she only has one--and how devastating it would be to lose her one and only soulmate.

_They met in high school. And I just always hoped it would be the same for me. I'm so glad this happened now. I've wanted to meet you for so long._

She blushes again. She wishes she could say the same. She's just been so focused on everything else in her life, convincing herself that it's okay if it takes time, and now she feels like she's not ready.

_You thought you'd still have some time, huh? If your parents met in college. Am I freaking you out?_

_A little,_ she admits. _It's just--a lot. I'm sorry. Does it help to tell you that it makes me happy to hear how happy you are?_

 _Yes,_ he replies. _It does._

Nancy's father emerges from his study, his important phone call finished. "I think I need a slice of cake to recover from that. Nan, Hannah? Want some?"

Nancy nods without even fully processing what he's saying. She doesn't want to tell her dad yet. She's not sure how he will react.

And it's so new, so personal... so private.

_Nancy... can we meet?_

Her heart had slowed down, but now it starts beating faster again. _Yes_ , she replies, her gaze on the kitchen doorway. Her father will know if she's talking to someone else if he tries to hold a conversation with her, but he will likely think it's Bess or George. _But I only have my permit. I..._

She imagines asking her father to accompany her somewhere to meet him, and immediately shies away from the idea. Bess and George aren't licensed either.

_We could meet in River Heights? I could come get you, or you could have your dad drop you off. If you don't want to be alone with me._

_Yet_ , she senses. He's her soulmate. She was alone and now they've found each other, even so briefly. They're fated to fall in love.

Her heart skips a beat. How can this be fated? The choice is out of her hands... and she doesn't know him, he's a stranger to her... How can she fall in love with him?

But how can she resist meeting him? He sounds so warm, so eager. She can feel how much he wants to meet her.

_We could meet at the Pizza Spot? Lunch on Saturday? I can get my dad to drop me off._

_That sounds great. Yes! I'll see you there. Eleven-thirty? Is that too early?_

_Eleven-thirty sounds great._ She smiles as her father brings in a slice of cake for Hannah. _I'll look forward to meeting you._

_What do you look like? I mean, I feel like I'll know you as soon as I see you, but..._

_I have strawberry blonde hair, so it's between red and blonde. Blue eyes. I'll be wearing..._ She thinks as fast as she can, considering. _I don't know!_

_It's okay. I'll just check in with you when I'm on the way?_

_Yes. That would be great._

_Okay. I have dark hair and dark eyes and I'm pretty tall--not like scary tall or anything, but I'm on the basketball team. And I don't know what I'll be wearing either. I just know I want to look great..._

_Me too,_ she admits. _My dad's coming back... so I'll talk to you later?_

_Yes. Okay. Um, have a good night. Nancy._

_Ned._ Her father brings her a slice of cake, and she hopes her blush isn't obvious. _Have a good night._

\--

Nancy doesn't know how many times she very nearly tells her two best friends about her date on Saturday. She knows that Bess will be insanely jealous, though; Bess is dying to meet her own soulmate. She's a fanatical reader of horoscopes, of anything she thinks might help her meet him. George is like Nancy was; she knows there's nothing she can do, and she intends to enjoy her friends and her life without worrying about it. Considering how shy George is around guys, or anyone she has a crush on, Nancy thinks that maybe George will be relieved if it never happens to her.

Nancy can't ask Bess what she should wear; she can't ask anyone. Even more disappointing, the weather is too cool for her to wear a cute dress. She's worried that a dress, even a casual one, is too fancy for the Pizza Spot; she vacillates wildly between apathy and stomach-churning anxiety. What does it matter what she wears, if Ned is truly her soulmate, if they will fall in love no matter what? But how can she possibly pick out an outfit for something so momentous as meeting the guy she could marry?

At that thought, she feels her heart skip a beat. She could marry this guy she's never met. Most people marry their soulmates. Most of the time, soulmates are separated only by death.

Like her parents.

Nancy studies her reflection, trying to imagine how she looks to someone else, someone who has never seen her. It's so hard not to compare herself to the prettiest girls in her class at school. Her hair isn't effortlessly perfect; it's clean and shining, but it looks ordinary. She's never been all that interested in makeup, so she's just wearing lip gloss. After three outfit changes, she's decided on a long-sleeved teal top with crochet detail at the neck and elbows, and a pair of dark skinny jeans. It looks a little dressy, but not too formal, and she thinks the color of the shirt makes her eyes look even more blue.

She's not beautiful, but she's pretty. She hopes she's enough for him, that she doesn't see his face fall in disappointment when he sees her.

She's also trying hard not to get her expectations up about _him_. He described himself as tall and dark, but not handsome--but she didn't describe herself as pretty or gorgeous either.

"Nan! Ready to go?"

"Coming," she calls back, flipping her hair one last time before sighing and heading for the stairs. Her father smiles at her when he sees her.

"You look nice. And you'll be getting some experience driving in the rain today..."

Nancy groans in frustration. "Really? _That's_ a good sign," she sighs. "Man..."

"It'll be okay. I can drive if you want."

"No. I can do it. Thanks for the offer, though."

Once they're both in the car, Nancy buckles and makes sure her purse is beside her. She glances over to make sure her father's belt is buckled, too.

He looks almost bemused. "You seem more anxious than usual. Everything okay?"

Nancy nods, adjusting the rearview mirror. "Yeah. I'm just... I don't know. I don't know why I'm feeling this keyed up," she lies. She expected to be excited, but this has gone beyond that.

"Mmm. Well, we've talked about hydroplaning. Don't slam on the brake; that will just make it worse. Okay?"

"All right."

Her father gives her tips along the way, even though the Pizza Spot isn't far enough to give her much practice. She gasps when the tires bump the concrete at the edge of the parking space she selects, and she immediately puts the car in reverse and backs up a few inches, the windshield wipers still clacking back and forth.

"You did great, Nan. Good job. Maybe this afternoon we can get some more practice in. You'll need to know how to drive in all kinds of weather."

Nancy nods, tucking her hair behind her ears. She wants to look into the restaurant and see if she spots him; her knees feel weak at the idea of seeing him, though. "Thanks. That would be great."

"Just let me know when you're ready to go." _I'll probably be at home._

Nancy nods again. _Love you, Dad._

_Love you too, sweetheart._

She unfurls a blue umbrella to keep most of the rain off and dashes into the restaurant. Ned told her he would be wearing jeans and a black shirt, and her heart is beating so hard her lips are trembling when she steps inside.

The restaurant is crazy at lunch on the weekends, especially with the patio closed thanks to rain. Teens whose parents dropped them off to window shop at the mall often make their way to the Pizza Spot for lunch. The walls are white, the booths red, and the speakers overhead play top 40--just not loud enough to drown out the already loud conversation and laughter. Nancy doesn't know how many times she's been here, sipping soda and picking pepperoni slices off her oversized slice, talking over clues with Bess and George.

And he's standing there, near the door.

As soon as their gazes meet, she knows it's him--and she can tell by the widening of his eyes that he recognizes her too.

He's beautiful. This is her first thought. He is completely, utterly beautiful. It's almost like she dreamed him to life, but he's better than she could ever have dreamed.

_Nancy._

_Ned._ She takes a few steps toward him, and she can't pull her gaze away. _Hi._

He smiles, and his smile becomes a grin that makes her knees want to buckle. _Hi. Oh, you look... perfect._

She grins, too. _So do you. You didn't tell me you were so handsome._

_And you didn't tell me you were so beautiful._

He reaches for her hand, and as soon as his skin is in contact with hers--another piece falls into place. There's no other way to describe it. It's like some subconscious part of her has been waiting for him and only him. She's never been around him before, never met him before, but thirty seconds into their first meeting she already feels like he's an old friend. Even his hand against hers feels familiar.

"So what's good here?" His voice is deep, smooth, warm. She can feel it all the way down to her toes.

She grins at his joke. The menu is simple: basic cheese, pepperoni, or sausage, in slices the size of paper plates. "It's all about the same," she admits. "The garlic knots are pretty good, if you want to split an order of those."

"Great. Are you hungry?"

They step toward the end of the line in front of the registers. "Yeah, but not starving--thank goodness. Can you believe this weather?"

"I know. I wanted things to be perfect today, but it's just miserable outside."

She nods. _So tell me about yourself. You said you play basketball?_

All around them are groups of friends and couples; most of them are speaking to each other aloud. It's considered impolite to spend too much time in public projecting, but they have little privacy, and at least she can hear him when they're projecting to each other.

_And football, and baseball. Practically any sport they'll let me play. It's a lot of fun, and I enjoy it. And you... you fight crime?_

For an instant she imagines herself wearing a cape, the fabric and her hair blown behind her in the wind, fist perched on her hip and her elbow cocked out, and it makes her smile. _I investigate mysteries,_ she tells him. _Sometimes I catch criminals and bring them to justice, but for me it's more about helping people._

 _That's incredible._ They shuffle forward a few steps, and when Ned's stomach growls, she glances over at him with her eyebrows up. _Sorry. Mom calls me a bottomless pit._

_Playing all those sports, I'm sure you need to eat a lot. My best friend George--she's a girl--talks about loading up on carbs so she'll have energy, like all the time._

They shuffle forward a few more steps. Telepathy is faster than speaking; that's another reason why it's so honest.

_Maybe I could come see you play sometime?_

_ohmygod that would be great! I'd be so stressed and afraid I wouldn't do well and you'd be disappointed--but knowing you'd be there..._

She gives his hand a little squeeze. _Are you kidding? It takes a lot of guts to just try out for sports at school. I'd be proud of you for getting out there._

_But you'd be even more proud if my team won._

They shuffle forward a few more steps, and the cashier is one of the upperclassmen at Nancy's school. She recognizes Nancy, of course; then she glances down at their joined hands, and back at Nancy's face. She smiles.

"What'll you have?"

"A slice of sausage, and garlic knots. And a medium drink."

"She's with me," Ned adds, as Nancy is digging in her pocket for cash to pay for her meal. "Um, I'll take... a pepperoni and a sausage, and a large drink."

She wrinkles her nose at him when he pays for her meal. "You didn't have to do that. But thanks," she adds.

Their slices are up quickly, and the crowd around them is even bigger and louder as they juggle trays and look around for any available space. The booths are crammed with teenagers, but she spots a guy just getting up from the long counter at the window. _There!_

He spots the two available stools and maneuvers through the crowd to grab them before anyone else can. Nancy breathes a sigh of relief once they sit down.

Over lunch they talk about their favorite subjects in school, their plans for their lives, their favorite movies and TV shows. She's both surprised and not surprised at all that they like some of the same shows and movies, that his favorite band is her second-favorite. How can it be? Are soulmates really created just for each other, to perfectly fit?

Because she feels like she absolutely must be dreaming, and from the look on his face, she knows that Ned feels the same. To be sixteen and so very handsome and not dating that much? To be waiting for his soulmate...

Many people don't ever find a soulmate--and so few find their soulmates this early that dating classmates in high school is what everyone does. It's like practice, preparing for that one other person, or the first one he or she will find. For some people, though, it feels hollow, because it isn't the incredible bond that soulmates share. People can fall in love and marry anyone they wish, soulmate or not...

But she has found hers, and if this is a dream, she's afraid to wake.

She can only eat a couple of garlic knots; Ned finishes off the rest, along with both his slices of pizza. He tells her about a pizza place in Mapleton that opened up in the fall, and it serves incredible slices: spinach and roma tomato, white pizza, pizza loaded with all sorts of delicious grilled vegetables or Italian meats. She agrees to go there with him soon, and the glowing smile he gives her makes her smile in return.

The rain is still coming down steadily, just not quite so hard, as Ned tosses their grease-speckled paper plates into the trash. "I know I said lunch, but... do you..."

_I just don't want this to be over yet._

She smiles. "Maybe want to get dessert?" she finishes for him. "There's an ice-cream shop a few doors down. Although we might have to wait half an hour for you to be hungry again..."

"For ice cream? I _always_ have room for ice cream."

 _I don't want it to be over yet either_.

Ned gazes into her eyes, and the warmth of his grin takes her breath away.

"We can share my umbrella," she offers.

They hold hands and dash through the puddles, laughing, still laughing when they step into the cold ice-cream shop. Fewer people are in the mood for ice cream in the cold weather, but several of the tables are occupied. Ned is still holding her hand when he steps up to the counter, scrutinizing the options.

"What's your favorite?"

Nancy scrunches her nose. "Oh man. I love ice cream," she admits. "And the ice cream is great here. The cookie dough parfait is incredible... and the chocolate ice cream with brownie pieces. And the caramel pecan..."

Ned laughs. "Okay. Are you hungry yet? Should we just hang out for a little while first?"

She considers, then nods. It means more time with him.

She's going to have to go home, after this. To not be around him. At least she can project to him while they're apart, with no fear of anyone overhearing their conversation.

_I can't imagine saying goodbye to you. I just... it's like finding a part of me that I had only just begun to realize wasn't there. And--I don't mean that you're half of me; I've never liked the sound of that. It's just that I feel complete._

_Me too._

He swallows; she can see it. _So, I mean... could I hang out with you while you're investigating a mystery? Are you investigating one right now?_

He can tell how important it is to her, and she's touched that he's even asking. _I'm not investigating anything right now, but when I am again... I'll let you know. You really would want to hang out?_

_I will always want to hang out with you. And I think it just sounds so cool. I want to help, if I can. If that's okay with you._

For a few seconds, she wonders if he's saying that he thinks she needs the help... but it doesn't seem like he's saying that. _Well, I think Bess and George and I do a pretty good job... but it can never hurt to have another pair of eyes and strong arms at the ready._

He grins. _I promise I'll try to be useful. While I'm not thinking about how beautiful you are or how much I want to have my arms around you. So maybe I won't be that helpful after all..._

Just holding his hand is great. Being able to put her arms around him and hold him tight... she'll be thinking about it too. She's thinking hard about it now.

Ned clears his throat. "That brownie in chocolate option is sounding pretty good," he says, and looks into her eyes.

"I think I'll get the caramel and pecan so you can try a bite."

He insists on paying for her food again, and while she puts up a quiet protest, they've been communicating long enough and she's close enough to him that she can pick up on impressions from him: that _this is what guys do, this is a way to show her that he cares about her, this is being chivalrous._ So she thanks him with a smile after.

She catches one last impression from him, before forcibly pulling her mental attention away, giving him his privacy. Him in a tux and her in a long blue dress, her arm linked through his, pride glowing in his expression. Prom.

She's a sophomore. She can't even go to prom unless an upperclassman asks her, and while she's idly thought about it--how can she resist; prom is such a rite of passage--she's never made the leap from vague fantasy to the reality of it. To a guy liking her enough to ask her to be his date. It's Bess's dream, George's nightmare, and Nancy has just never let herself slow down long enough to even think about it.

Life is easier when she depends on herself, when she finds ways to make herself happy. Ned, though... she wants to make Ned happy. His glowing smile makes her knees weak. And just being around him is enough to make _her_ happy.

It's terrifying and it's exhilarating, and it's everything, absolutely everything. And she's a different person now than the girl she was this morning, but in a way she isn't. In a way, she feels like meeting him is part of growing up. He's part of the life she is meant to have.

She's not alone anymore. Not for as long as she has him.

 _I know it's too soon to be talking about prom._ They're facing each other across the small table, and Ned's crunching on a shard of his waffle cup. _But... if you aren't seeing anyone else right now...?_

She knows she's blushing. _I... may have... had a feeling you were going to ask about this,_ she says.

His smile becomes a grin. _That's how my parents are. With them it's more than just hearing each other's projections. They can pick up on each other's moods too. Is that... do you want to... go to prom with me?_

It's never meant this much to him, the answer to this question. She can't help grinning, and he grins too in response.

_I'd love to. Thank you for asking me._

"Nan, that's... no, thank _you_. I can't wait. It's going to be incredible..."

She nods. "How is it that I feel like I've always known you?" she murmurs. "Like you were just beyond the corner, just out of sight, until we talked the other night. We've just met and I can't imagine being without you..."

He grins again. "And we'll have the summer... and..."

_And the rest of our lives._

Nancy's heart skips a beat. _And the rest of our lives,_ she agrees, hoping down to every last atom of her being that her time with him will span decades, not just a handful of years.

He reaches for her hand and gives it a squeeze. "I'm from a long line of men who have one," he tells her. "Just one. And they're still together. I don't know why we met now... but I wanted to meet you so much... every night, I would check to see if you could hear me. I didn't want to be with anyone else, because I knew it could never compare to how it would be with you. And you're so much more than I've ever dreamed. The other day, I felt so strange, and I was praying it meant we were finally ready to find each other.

"And I don't want to scare you..."

Intellectually, she knows that even a day earlier, she would have been freaked out. If anyone else talks to her this way, she knows she will be afraid, upset.

With him, though, everything he's saying makes perfect sense.

"I'm not scared," she murmurs. "I mean, a part of me knows it's crazy, but it's _right_. It shouldn't work, but it's perfect."

He laces his fingers through hers. "For the rest of our lives," he murmurs.

Her heart is aglow with happiness. "Yes," she whispers.

They linger over their ice cream until Nancy's father sends her a message, asking if she's ready for him to pick her up. The prospect of leaving Ned makes her stomach sink. She knows that what's between them won't fade or diminish while they're apart, but she just wants to be around him. She can't be around him long enough.

She sighs. "Dad wants to come get me," she says, her voice heavy with disappointment.

Ned strokes his thumb against her hand. "It's all right. Maybe we can see each other tomorrow? I know my parents would love to meet you. Whenever you're ready for that. As far as I'm concerned we could just go to the river and sit on a bench and talk, if the weather's nice. I just want to see you again."

She nods. "I want to see you again too. I'll ask my dad. Maybe you could come pick me up? So we could spend more time together."

He grins. "I hope he says yes," he says. _I've been waiting so long, for my life to really start... and I have no idea how I'm going to get through school next week. To be away from you for so long. I feel like my eyes are truly open for the first time._

She gives his hand a little squeeze. "Me too."

Her father's arrival is fast, too fast. She wants another hour, but she'll take another five minutes... and Ned walks her to the door of the ice cream shop, and she feels the faintest question before he slides an arm around her. She turns to him and holds him tight, and everything, the smell of him, the way her cheek presses against his shoulder, the way his arms fit around her...

These are the arms that will surround her for the rest of their lives. The first embrace of an infinite number of embraces.

And he is the only man she will ever love. She has no doubt of that. He is her one.

He kisses the crown of her head. "I'll miss you every second we're apart," he whispers.

 _I'll miss you too._ She smiles up at him. _Thank you for finding me._

The smile that lights up his face in return, the way his gaze drops to her lips... but it isn't time, not yet, not here. Not on a rainy Saturday in the River Heights ice cream shop, during their first date. She knows it will be soon, though, and she's infinitely glad that her first kiss will be with him.

When she walks out of the ice cream shop, Ned's with her, and their hands are still joined. She walks him to his car in the steady rainfall, holding the umbrella over them, and once he's in his car he reaches for her hand and brushes a kiss over her knuckles.

"Until I see you again, Nan."

She nods. "I'll see you tomorrow. I promise."

She floats to her father's car. The rain doesn't touch her; her feet don't touch the ground. She opens the passenger door and feels like twirling. She can't stop smiling.

"Honey?" her father says, gazing at her curiously. "Did you want to drive?"

She shakes her head. Nothing feels quite real. "I don't think I can," she says, almost dreamily.

"Who was the boy you were with? I don't recognize him."

She looks into her father's eyes, and feels her smile becoming wider. She's a little afraid to say it, but denying it, lying about it, is impossible. She won't hide him or what they are to each other.

"He's the one."

Her father's eyes widen. "When did you meet him?"

"Today. Just now."

"Oh, sweetheart..."

"I'm going to marry him," she whispers. "Oh Dad... I'm so happy."

"The one. Wow." Her father touches the key in the ignition, but seems incapable of turning it. "And you didn't want to introduce me to my future son-in-law?"

"Maybe next time." Nancy giggles, fidgeting in her seat. "He's perfect."

"He'd better be, if he's my baby girl's soulmate."

"My soulmate," she whispers. Then she squeals. Her eyes are bright with happy tears. "Can I see him tomorrow? Please?"

"Yes... if he can come over and meet me. Because it's going to take me that long to get used to this idea. The one, huh..."

Her father's is the only masculine voice that has ever been in her head. Now Ned can talk to her that way too. Now they share a bond that she has never shared with anyone else.

_I must be dreaming._

She hears Ned's thought in response. _Then I hope this dream never ends._

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally published elsewhere. If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving feedback! I appreciate it.


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